Download Scientific Method in Action - Mrs. Elam`s Science Classroom

Scientific Method
in Action
Cases of Mystery
The Strange Case of BeriBeri
The Strange Case of BeriBeri
• State the problem
• A strange nerve disease
attacks the people of
the Dutch East Indies
The Strange Case of BeriBeri
• What were the
observations?
• Weakness, loss of
appetite, and death
from heart failure
The Strange Case of BeriBeri
• What was the
hypothesis?
• The disease is caused by
bacteria.
The Strange Case of BeriBeri
• How was the hypothesis
tested?
• They injected chickens
with the bacteria from
the blood of patients
with beriberi.
The Strange Case of BeriBeri
• Should the hypothesis
be supported or
rejected by the
experiment?
• Rejected, because all
the chickens became ill,
even those who were
not injected.
The Strange Case of BeriBeri
• What should the new
hypothesis be?
• If a person does not eat
enough thiamin, then
they will develop
beriberi disease.
How Penicillin Was Discovered
How Penicillin Was Discovered
• Indentify the problem.
• Mold was growing in
the dishes with the
bacteria.
How Penicillin Was Discovered
• What were the
observations?
• A clear area existed
around the mold
because the bacteria
had died.
How Penicillin Was Discovered
• What was Fleming’s
hypothesis?
• The mold was
producing a chemical
that killed the bacteria.
How Penicillin Was Discovered
• How was the hypothesis
tested?
• He grew mold in a broth
and added it to the
bacteria.
How Penicillin Was Discovered
• Should the hypothesis
be supported or
rejected based on the
experiment?
• Supported, because the
bacteria died.
How Penicillin Was Discovered
• This experiment lead to
the development of
what major medical
advancement?
• Penicillin used as a
medicine for bacteria.